Stalker

Sayuri Nose is shocked by Yukimura Sota’s admission that he was Mariko Nose’s protector and that he followed her to ensure her safety. Sayuri calls him a stalker, but he warns her not to harm Mariko.

Yukimura catches up with Mariko on her way home and musters the courage to confess his feelings. He tells her he wants to ride the Ferris wheel with her. Mariko impulsively runs to embrace him, then pulls away, embarrassed. As he tries to confess further, she receives a message from Inspector Taisuke Sakura revealing that Yukimura attended the same middle and high school including university as her. She asks if he studied at Rinka Academy. He admits it, saying they were classmates. Uneasy, she searches her yearbooks and finds his pictures, finally linking the headphones with the sticker from her elementary years to him.

At home, Yukimura tells Tomoya that his 25-year crush has ended because Mariko now knows they were classmates. Tomoya teases him, saying she must have accepted it—otherwise, she would have rejected his true self.

Mariko reflects that her attraction to Yukimura felt natural, as if they shared a common language. Smiling, she tells him she finally knows the real him. She recalls how he seemed to know everything, even when she was late for school.

Yukimura writes in his journal about the day Mariko finally discovered who he was. Overwhelmed with joy, he struggles to write properly. He can’t stop thinking about her and even notes that she ate fried potatoes before sleeping, just as he did.

He investigates the day Mariko’s mother died and learns her body was found under the bridge after a fall.

Meanwhile, Tomoya confesses to Izumi that he likes her and wants to date. She readily accepts, thrilling him.

Inspector Sakura pursues crucial evidence in Tateiwa’s murder case, consulting the writer of the article and a private investigator’s report. He discovers CCTV footage of the suspect leaving Tateiwa’s house and wonders if more footage exists.

Yukimura consults a retired detective from Kinuta Nishi Police Station about Mariko’s mother’s case. The detective explains that her fall was suspicious: the handrails weren’t damaged, and the position of her fingerprints suggested she was pushed. Despite suspicions of murder, the head office closed the case as suicide. Yukimura revisits the site and sees a bouquet of calla lilies placed there.

Sayuri keeps a copy of the Goro Kikuta Office report at home. When President Nose arrives, she suggests a replacement for Tateiwa. He tells her to stop interfering in company affairs and reminds her that Mariko will succeed him, not Keito. Sayuri blackmails him, hinting at their shared secret, which Keito overhears.

Izumi reports to President Nose after speaking with Asai’s mother. Meanwhile, Asai is held hostage by ex-prisoner Satoru Hatano.

At the office, Yukimura and Mariko leave late. He waits for her, and they talk about going to the movies. Sayuri meets them by chance, asks Mariko to join her for tea, and apologizes for not being a good mother. She asks Mariko to watch over Keito and secretly plants a memory card in Mariko’s pencil case. Yukimura notices and removes it when Mariko steps away.

The next day, inspectors arrive at Mariko’s office with a report accusing her of sharing company information to competitors. Her colleagues suspect someone holding a grudge against her.

Yukimura confronts Sayuri about planting evidence in Mariko’s pencil case. He shows her the card and accuses her of trying to frame Mariko. Sayuri confesses that Mariko blocks her son’s succession in the company and claims Mariko looks down on her. Yukimura counters that Mariko works hard for what she achieves, unlike Sayuri, who manipulates others. Inspector Sakura witnesses this confrontation from a distance.

Later, Sakura accosts Sayuri about photos showing her leaving Tateiwa’s apartment and the investigator’s office. Sayuri shocks him by accusing Sakura of killing Tateiwa, knowing about his visits to the Nose household 25 years earlier. She suggests he kill Yukimura to clear himself. Instead, Sakura strangles her to death and burns the evidence.

Back at the office, Mariko accidentally sees Yukimura’s phone and discovers his social media account. She confronts him, asking if he has been following her all along.

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